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J. R. R.

Tolkien

The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien, tells


the story of Bilbo Baggins, a comfortloving hobbit, whos thrust into an
unwanted quest for dragon treasure
with a group of dwarves. He faces all
manner of hardships, from orcs to
hostile elves to giant spiders.

Finally the group of adventurers reaches


their destination: the mountain lair of Smaug
the Dragon. Bilbo enters the dragons lair
through a secret door in the mountainside. All
the dwarves are waiting outside, and Bilbo has
to face the dragon alone. As he makes his way
through the dark tunnel, he hears what sounds
like a kettle bubbling on the stove. That sound
grows into what sounds like a giant cat
purring. Suddenly Bilbo realizes that hes
hearing the sound of the dragon snoring in
the cave.

Bilbo is petrified. He wants nothing more than


to turn back, and he nearly does; but then he
decides to go on. Tolkien writes, Going on
from there was the bravest thing he ever
did. The tremendous things that happened
afterward were as nothing compared to it. He
fought the real battle in the tunnel alone,
before he ever saw the vast danger that lay
in wait.

We all face challenges where we want to run


away before weve even had a chance to see
whats ahead. Dealing with dragons (or other
scary obstacles) takes a whole lot of courage. As
strong as we are, or try to be, we often lack the
mettle that wed need to overcome. So where can
we find the courage to face lifes challenges?

We can have courage because God is with us. He doesnt send


us out to face our dragons alone. Hes right there with us,
backing us up, not only ready to give us strength and courage,
but also promising to meet us there and carry us through.
Once youve asked God for courage, you have to choose to use
it, even if you dont feel courageous. It will be there for you as
you step out. If you dont have a ton of courage right now, thats
okay. Often, courage is simply putting one foot in front of the
other, taking small, sometimes even tiny, steps forward. Every
time you make a brave choice, youre strengthening your
courage and preparing for the bigger challenges ahead. Courage
begins as a decision and grows as you consistently use it.

Bilbo had been building up his courage little by


little throughout his journey. He fought fearsome
enemies and won. He tackled difficult problems and
found solutions. Each time he faced a challenge
bravely, it was an investment in courage; and those
investments paid off when it came time to face the
dragon.
The Kings Guard of ancient Greece had a motto:
All men have fears, but the brave put down their
fears and go forward. So face your dragons boldly.

- www.freekidstories.org
The Hobbit artwork originally drawn by Tolkein; used under CC license. Other art TFI.
Text courtesy of Activated magazine; used with permission.

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